Improvement in children s carriages



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- Patentgd Jan. 13, 1874.

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- AM. PHUTd-L/THUMAP/l/C 01 IV. K (mean/ :3 M0055) UN T D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. BROWN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, MOSES J. GRODJINSKI, AND EDWD. G. SALTZMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDRENS CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,311, dated Janrary 13,1874; application filed September 29, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. BROWN, of Boston, in the county of Suifolk andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Ohildrens Carriages, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawiugs making part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a childs Ccarriage constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section I through the center of the same, the position of the handle and the canopied top of the carriage being changed from that shown in Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the under side of the carriage.- Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the same.

My invention consists in a canopied top of a childs carriage made 1n sections, hinged to gether, and capable of being inclined or thrown r down, so as to shade or shield the face of the child within it from thesun, or from exposure to the weather, the front and rear sections be while the whole canopy may be readily thrown back by operating jointed braces connected i with the standards supporting it. My invention also consists in hanging the curtains inside of the canopy, and also in a carriage so constructed that its handle may be readily removed and applied to its front or rear, whereby the carriage may-be pushed in front of or drawn after the person in, charge of the child.

Furthermore, my invention consists in an axle,

"the ends of which are bent in the form of cranks for the springs to rest upon, whereby 1 the depth and weight of the springs, as well as the amount of their vibration, are reduced, and the consequent liability of weakening or breaking them in a great measure avoided. My invention also consists in supporting the front of the body of the carriage by hookshaped irons, to which the removable handle describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said carriage, of the form seen, each side of the front of which is provided with hook-shaped irons a, which rest on the extremities of a flat spring, B, bent down at its center, which bears onthe center of the forward axle O, which is bent up in the opposite direction. Under each side of the back of the body is secured the rear end 6 of a flat spring, D, bent in the form shown, and having its forward end 7 secured under the body at a point where the back of the floor unites with the portion of the body extending down from thefront of the seat. The'lower portion 8 of each spring bears on and is secured to the rear axle E at or near its extremities, which are bent up in the form of cranks 9, the object being to elevatethe body of the carriage without employing high or deep springs, which would be liable to be weakened and 'broken' by the considerable amount of vibration which would occur therefrom. From the forward end 10 of each arm b of the seat rises a standard, F, which curves backward, and is provided with bifurcations c at its upper end, to which is secured the. middlesection G of i a canopy-top, having a front section, H, and a rear section, I, hinged to the sides thereof. A jointed lever, k, rises from each side of the backof the body and inclines up to the standard, where it commences to fork, and serves to brace the standard, and enables it to support the top of the canopy. L is a cord, one extremity of which is secured to the front of the forward section, H, and the other end passes out throughthe middle and rear sections, G I, and hangs down at the back of the carriage, and by drawing on this cord the front sections only, or both the front drawings, A is the body of the and rear sections, maybe brought up into line with the middle section, and form a continuous horizontal top or canopy, suitable catches, 11, being employed for hooking the sections securely in the position shown in Fig. 1. On the liberation of the catches, the front and rear sections are free to fall by their gravity into a position inclined to the middle section, as seen in Fig. 2. By applying pressure outwardly on the joints of the braces, the standards are al lowed to fall back, carrying with them the top or canopy, by which movements the whole or any portion of the canopy may be so adjusted as to shade the face or back of the child, as required. The bottom of each side of the rear of the body of the carriage is provided with a hook, 12, under which is caught one'end of the handle M, by which the carriage is pushed forward by the attendant in charge of the child, an opening in each end of the handle being provided to admit ofthis being done. The handle is provided with a cross-bar, cl, having a hole, 6, formed in its center, through which and a corresponding hole, h, in a plate,

N, projecting from the back of the carriage,

passes a pin, 1', by which the handle is held in place when the carriage is to be pushed forward. By removing this pin and unhooking the lower ends of the handle it may be removed and attached to the hook-shaped irons to, thereby enabling the carriage to be drawn after in stead of being pushed in front of the attendant, which adjustment is often very desirable. O O are two braces connected with the extremities of the axles, the middle portions of the braces being'bent toward each other, and being connected by a rod, P, loosely passing centrally through them. One end of this rod is secured to the front axle, while its other end extends a short distance through the rear brace O, and is provided with a screw-thread, over which turns a nut, k, the portion of the rod between the braces being surrounded by a spiral spring, Z, the tension of which is regulated thereby.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that,

should one or both wheels of either axle come into contact with an obstacle, the spring Z will yield without imparting the shock to the other axle, and owing to the rod P passing loosely through the braces 0, should one wheel of an axle strike an obstruction, this wheel only would be caused to rise over it, while the opposite wheel on the same axle would not receive the shock, but remain upon the ground, the braces in both instances swiveling on the rod in such manner as hardly to affect or jar the body of the carriage.

R R are curtains, made to rise and lower on the inside of the standards supporting the canopy-top.

2. The hooks 12 at the rear of the carriage,

in combination with a handle, M, and a de vice, h, for holding it in place, substantially as set forth.

3. The hook-shaped irons a at the front of the carriage, in combination with the handle M, as and for the purpose set forth.

4: The body A and springs D, in combination with the bent rear axle E, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

5. The central rod P, having the spring l for connecting the braces O O, and allowing brace O to swivel loosely on rod 1), substantially as specified.

6. The carriage-topcomposed of the sections G, H, and I, hinged together and made adjust able substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

fitness my hand this 15th day of September, 1873.

. JOHN L. BBOi/VN.

In presence of P. E. TESGI-IEMACHER, WV. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

